Meet Clarissa Losito | Carpenter & Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clarissa Losito and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clarissa, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My husband, Matthew, & I purchased our first house in 2016. I had a lot of free time that summer & wanted to make our house “home-y”, so I took a trip to Home Depot to purchase outdoor furniture. While looking at their prices, I found it absolutely outrageous that they were charging ten to twenty times more than the cost of the material to build their furniture. So I bought a few boards instead, some screws & a hand saw, & I went home to set up a “shop” underneath a tree in our backyard. By the end of the month, I taught myself how to build an entire set of outdoor benches, our kitchen table, six dining chairs, a desk & a ton of smaller furniture to nearly fully furnish our house. My love for carpentry quickly bloomed & after a TON of studying & trial & error, I wanted to share my newly found gift w/ other people. Encouraged by my husband, I officially opened an Etsy shop in January 2017 & had my first customer a week after opening. Fast forward to today, I’ve had 279 customers & have graduated to fully remodeling homes (on top of building custom furniture for my clients). & it all came from being a cheap-o in Home Depot.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a female in the construction industry, my challenges have been endless. Especially in South Texas, where it’s very rare to see women in this male-dominated field. When I chose to start trying my hand at remodeling, I ran into more prejudices than I anticipated. “YOU are doing the work?”. “That’s a little heavy for you, ain’t it?”. “Are you SURE you can handle it?”. “You should hire a man.” I’ve been criticized before I can even start a job just from being a black woman. The never-ending side-eyes & criticism gets incredibly heavy at times. Despite the darkness it can bring, it’s also my fuel to become a master of my trade. I had no prior background in construction when I chose to become a carpenter. In fact, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology & had never picked up a saw before 2016. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time researching woodworking & house construction techniques to fine tune my skills. Although my obstacles are plentiful due to being new to the carpentry world, my “newness” doesn’t affect the quality of my work. I’ve worked diligently to be able to conquer not only other people’s criticisms, but to prove to whoever is watching me that women can & will be successful in any field. I’m not one to brag or gloat, but I do let my work speak for itself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I honestly haven’t gotten the chance to go on too many adventures in Houston because of our fast paced life. I LOVE dancing, though, so we’d probably be cliché & go to Whiskey River in Katy. I’d also take her to Hubcap Grill in Houston for some burgers, which is where my husband & I had our very first date. The majority of our time would be spent on the beach (most likely Matagorda), to soak up the crystal brown water & to try not to get stuck in the sand behind someone in a Honda on the way in 😊.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, Matthew, deserves more recognition than I could ever possibly give him. Without his love & constant support, I would have never had the courage to attempt to become a carpenter, let alone a business owner. He’s the greatest encourager I’ve ever known, even through my failures. He may not be the front & center of our business, but he’s its backbone & it wouldn’t exist without him.

Facebook: LositoProof Carpentry